The Bonner Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of a new partnership with the the Congressional Hunger Center. Through the Zero Hunger Initiative, Bonners will be able to deepen their learning around issues of food security, hunger and poverty and be exposed to ways they can become more effective advocates for promoting policies that address food security and reduce hunger in their campus communities.

The Congressional Hunger Center (CHC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to make issues of domestic and international hunger a priority to policymakers in the U.S. government, and to raise a new generation of leaders to fight against hunger and poverty.

Our mission is to train and inspire leaders who work to end hunger, and to advocate public policies that create a food secure world. We strive to be a leader in the movement to ensure access to food as a basic human right for all people. We create and nurture a community of innovative and inspiring leaders who act as change agents, bridging the gap between grassroots efforts and national and international public policy to provide access to nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food.

The CHC Zero Hunger Initiative offers three different activities for Bonners and Bonner Directors:

A cohort-based, policy-focused summer internship program in Washington, DC that will help a select number of students across the Bonner network engage more intentionally in advocacy and education activities at the local, state, and federal level. CHC will administer a cohort of five to ten Bonners who will be placed at anti-hunger organizations in Washington, D.C. during the Summer of 2018. Bonners will work on policy and advocacy issues during the summer, in addition to engaging in bi-weekly cohort based trainings.

Click hereto apply to participate in the internship program. We will email follow-up information on our timeline and internship opportunities to all who apply.

We are excited to launch this new partnership with the hope that everyone involved will strengthen their knowledge and skills on issues of food security and hunger, and develop as leaders who will advocate for public policies that will create a food secure world. To learn more about the Congressional Hunger Center and our programs click here.

A free online learning opportunity around domestic food security open to the entire Bonner network. During the Spring semester, Bonners can engage in a series of four online learning modules focused on hunger and poverty issues in the U.S. and their root causes. (available mid-February 2018)

A campus network to develop leaders to fight hunger through education and action. Students in participating campuses will deepen their focus around food security and hunger, and be exposed to advocacy opportunities. Specifically, student teams involved in the CHC Zero Hunger Campus Network will be asked to:

complete the free online Zero Hunger Academy policy education series (four modules each taking about four hours of reading and interaction);

conduct local policy research to produce a Zero Hunger Community Report targeted to the community (city, county) surrounding their campus;

organize a public forum for your campus and community based on the findings from the Zero Hunger Community Report;

launch a social action campaign or capacity building project that addresses the needs or gaps in services identified in the Zero Hunger Community Report.

The Congressional Hunger Center will support campuses in the CHC Zero Hunger Campus Network through in-person trainings at national Bonner meetings, virtual learning webinars, on campus visits, mentorship by CHC alumni fellows, and educational and service visits to Washington, D.C. where feasible.

We are seeking 5-6 schools to pilot this initiative in the 2018-19 school year.

Contact Bobby Hackett or another Bonner Foundation staff member if you are interested in joining this network.